Cessation of breastfeeding - practice. Ways to stop lactation after stopping breastfeeding How milk leaves after stopping breastfeeding

It is difficult to fully appreciate the contribution to the health and development of the child that breastfeeding makes. Breast milk is the most useful and valuable component in the diet of a 1-2 year old baby. Many mothers today are very concerned about breastfeeding for as long as possible. Regardless of this desire, there comes a time when a woman, for certain reasons, is faced with the problem of stopping lactation.

Even if the mother has decided on long-term breastfeeding, sooner or later you will still have to think about the end of lactation (we recommend reading:)

Reasons for stopping lactation

The period during which the mother breastfeeds the child depends on individual characteristics female body and can vary within 2.5 years. At this age, the composition of breast milk completely changes. According to endocrinologists, the production of prolactin, the hormone of breast milk, proceeds through natural phases, and at the end of this process, involution occurs, but this scenario is far from always encountered.

There are other options for stopping lactation:

Suppression of lactation immediately after the birth of a child. The reason may be medical indications for the mother or for the baby.
Self denial. There are various reasons why the baby does not want to suck on his mother's breast. As a result, the transition to ordinary food is inevitable.
Weaning a child from the breast at the age of one. By this time, the woman is very tired emotionally and physically, she has a desire to get enough sleep and stop straining her hands when holding an already quite heavy baby for a long time.

Sometimes even mothers of newborns have to stop lactation - most often this is due to medical indications

Ways to stop breast milk production

Breastfeeding isn't just for the baby. The process of natural lactation has a positive effect on the hormonal health of the woman herself, especially if all stages of breastfeeding are normal from a physiological point of view. The natural desire of any mother is to ensure that the cessation of lactation occurs without particularly strong pain. For almost painless suppression of prolactin production, there are a number of specific means and methods: gradual or simultaneous weaning, special herbal preparations, medicines.

Gradual cessation of lactation

Process breastfeeding characterized by successive stages, starting with its formation and ending with involution. The natural stop of milk production does not happen instantly. In rare cases, the onset of the extinction of lactation occurs before the child reaches 1 year and 6 months.

To understand that the process of involution has already started, the state of the mammary glands will help. Milk stops coming to the breast, and it remains soft throughout the day.

If the baby is not allowed to breastfeed, the volume of milk will decrease regardless of the needs of the crumbs. This is the best time to wean your baby.

Today, the situation is quite common when a mother is forced to stop breastfeeding even before the onset of involution. How to stop the production of breast milk in this case? If the child is already 9-11 months old, he can be weaned for 2-3 months:

every two weeks, reduce the number of feedings by one;
by the end of this period, only feeding at night should remain;
then you need to give it up, but the baby will still have a sucking reflex - to satisfy it, you can give the baby water, compotes or kefir from a bottle.

This approach to stopping lactation makes the process easier for the mother and for the little one. According to lactation consultants, this method is the most humane.

during the cold season (since the risk of infection with intestinal viruses and bacteria increases in summer)
if the baby is healthy and his age is more than 1.5 years.

Mom during the period when she seeks to stop lactation should follow some recommendations:

reduce the amount of fluid consumed;
give up hot tea, broth, salty foods and those foods that cause thirst;
remove fatty meat, smoked and dairy products, butter from the menu;
in case of pain or discomfort in the mammary glands, decant in small amounts until the unpleasant symptoms stop.

During the period of weaning the crumbs from the breast, it is advisable for the mother to abandon the use of salt and those products in which it is contained in large quantities.

Sudden weaning of the baby

Most women who, for one reason or another, decide to stop breastfeeding, do not have the necessary couple of months in stock - they are interested in how to quickly stop lactation. In such conditions, neither the mother's body nor the child's body is prepared for instant changes.

Sometimes they offer to send the baby to relatives for the time of weaning or by other available means to make sure that he does not see his mother for 3-7 days. However, such measures can lead to great stress for the child, after which the process of weaning will be associated with the risk of losing his mother.

In addition, a sharp suppression of lactation is not only a psychological experience, but a strong physical discomfort. Milk production continues at the same intensity, as a result of which the breast is stretched, there are pain. In some cases, lactostasis or even mastitis may develop. To reduce stretching, breast tugging with an elastic bandage or a tight bra is advised - however, these methods are not physiological, and can only exacerbate the problem of breast engorgement.

Quick weaning methods are not always helpful. They suggest using:

compresses and wraps (from camphor oil, cabbage leaf);
herbal infusions;
tablets.

Wrap with camphor oil

A popular remedy used by mothers to stop lactation, ideal for home conditions, is wrapping or rubbing the mammary glands. The main component of these procedures is camphor oil. In addition to suppressing lactation, the use of this oil along with a light massage of the breasts, leads to the restoration of the skin in a natural way, and also significantly reduces the risk of hard lumps in the mammary glands.

The wrapping procedure itself is quite simple:

it is necessary to soak bandage napkins or napkins made of natural fabrics with camphor oil;
attach to each breast, cover with polyethylene, put on underwear, leave for a night's sleep (after feeding the baby in advance).

The disadvantage of camphor oil is a sharp corrosive smell, which is not easy to get rid of. For this reason, the clothes that are used for such a procedure will have to be thrown away in the future.

Camphor oil helps regenerate breast tissue and prevent lumps

Compresses with cabbage leaves

In addition to wrapping, you can resort to other folk methods to quickly stop lactation - applying cold cabbage leaves to the chest with their change every hour throughout the day. According to Jack Newman, a well-known breastfeeding consultant, cabbage is a fairly gentle way to alleviate breast engorgement (to avoid lactostasis). Such compresses help to reduce the production and flow of milk, which means they can suppress lactation.

The use of herbal preparations

Sometimes, to stop lactation, the use of special herbal preparations is fully justified. Such infusions or decoctions can be taken both internally and as a means for rubbing. The most widely used diuretic infusions, these include herbal decoction of sage and mint. Thanks to such a folk remedy, it is possible, albeit not immediately, to independently reduce lactation, and subsequently achieve its complete suppression.

For a more effective action of decoctions of herbs, it is necessary to simultaneously reduce the intake of fluid by the body. A significant reduction in fluid intake helps to naturally reduce the amount of milk and contributes to the complete suppression of prolactin production. Due to this, the intake of herbal infusions gives the desired result.

Minimal harm to the body from herbal preparations is a big plus in their favor. As a precaution, before starting to use them, it is advisable to consult a specialist, since herbal preparations that are used to stop lactation have certain properties:

diuretic;
anti-inflammatory;
sedatives.

Herbal preparations can be a great help for mommy to stop lactation, but they should be used after consulting a doctor.

For example, a collection of lingonberry leaf, horsetail, corn stigma, high elecampane, common basil and common bearberry helps to get rid of excess fluid in the body, which is known to help suppress lactation. Medicinal sage in combination with mint and belladonna can have an anti-inflammatory effect against the background of a decrease in the amount of milk. Common heather, marsh cudweed herb and valerian officinalis roots are indispensable in stressful situations.

Chopped sage leaves - 1 tsp pour 200 ml of boiling water. Infuse for about an hour, then strain. Take 4 times a day, 50 ml 20 minutes before meals.
Mint leaves - 5 tsp pour 300 ml of boiling water. Also insist an hour and strain. Drink 100 ml three times a day.
Cowberry leaf - 1 tsp pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for half an hour, drink a third of a glass 3 times a day.

Since ancient times, lingonberry leaf has been used by women during the period of weaning a child from the breast. You can buy it at a pharmacy that sells medicinal herbs.

Naturally, a noticeable effect from all kinds of folk methods at home does not come as instantly as from the use of drugs, but a week after the start of the intake, a woman can feel changes in the amount of milk produced.

The use of medications

May lead to adverse effects on women's health. This method is effective in cases where the mother does not have time to gradually stop lactation: for example, after labor activity a woman is contraindicated in breastfeeding from a medical point of view or in connection with a return to work.

There are a sufficient number of tablets specifically designed to suppress lactation that can be purchased at a pharmacy, for example, Dostinex, Bromocriptine, Norkolut, etc. When resorting to their help, it is worth remembering:

Only a doctor should prescribe pills that will help stop lactation. This precaution avoids side effects from taking inappropriate medications.
Hormonal drugs have many contraindications, which must be considered before taking them. Drugs are forbidden to be taken with hypertension, varicose veins, diabetes, liver and kidney diseases, etc.
The decision to stop lactation should be final, because after taking medication, it is no longer possible to restore the production of prolactin.
It is worth taking pills only as a last resort, if there is no other solution to the problem.

Homeopathy can also be considered as an option for lactation suppression. A doctor should prescribe homeopathic remedies. The most common of them are Fitollyaka 6 and Apis 3.

Of course, pills are the fastest way to stop lactation, but ending it gradually naturally is the safest option, although it takes several months. It is also better not to rush to try to abruptly stop breastfeeding, as this can lead to various complications.

How to stop lactation and which method to resort to, it is better to decide together with a gynecologist. This consultation has a number of advantages:

absence of unpleasant consequences;
prevention of complications;
preservation of normal functions of the mammary glands, which is important for the prevention of tumors and breastfeeding without difficulty next time.

The habit does not appear instantly. Take care of the health of your baby, while not forgetting about your own body.

Weaning a baby from the breast important point for baby and mother. Sometimes this happens naturally as the child grows up and eats solid foods. In some cases, the decision is made by the mother. There are situations when lactation is not possible due to illness or forced separation. After a woman stops breastfeeding, milk is released for several more months. Stagnation of milk often leads to mastitis, mastopathy and other unpleasant conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to speed up the process of stopping milk production and how safe it is.

It happens that the child is not yet a year old, but the mother has to go to work. If a woman is going to give her child to a kindergarten or a nanny, then she has to transfer him to bottle feeding at least 1-1.5 months before. Usually children quickly switch to new way nutrition, if milk formulas are suitable for them, do not cause allergies. For some time, the father or grandmother has to feed the baby from the bottle until he weaned from his mother's breast. Sooner or later, the process is successfully completed, there is such a need to stop lactation.

Cessation of lactation can occur both naturally and with the use of various ways effects on the mammary glands.

Stop lactation naturally

The body of a woman is designed in such a way that the production of milk during the feeding period directly depends on the mode of attachment of the baby to the breast and the intensity of sucking. After the cessation of regular feeding, milk production gradually decreases, the breast ceases to swell. For some time, when pressed, milk appears, then completely disappears. At this time, the main thing is to observe the rules of personal hygiene, so as not to bring the infection into the mammary gland.

During the period of feeding, doctors recommended that the woman achieve complete emptying of the breast to stimulate milk production. It was required to give the child to suck out completely the milk from one breast, and then apply it to the other, express the remaining milk.

To complete lactation, it is necessary to express milk only until relief is felt in the chest. In the milky lobes, with incomplete emptying of the breast from milk, an enzyme is produced that reduces the rate of its formation. Milk can be expressed manually or with a breast pump.

If a woman feels that seals appear in her breasts, then she must carefully, effortlessly express milk completely in order to prevent the inflammatory process. In order for the lumps to dissolve faster, you can apply cold (from the freezer) cabbage leaves to your chest.

Warning: Warm compresses should not be used if seals have formed in the chest during the period of stopping lactation. This can cause a purulent inflammatory process in the milk ducts (mastitis).

If the lumps do not go away, the chest (one or both) turns red, the woman has a fever, the touch causes pain, then you need to urgently see a doctor, as mastitis is most likely formed. In this case, antibiotics are prescribed. If the condition worsens, surgical removal of pus is performed.

Ways to artificially stop milk production

After weaning a baby, a young mother receives a lot of advice from more experienced women on how to stop lactation faster. How effective and safe are the proposed methods and should they be trusted:

Drink less liquid. Reducing fluid intake has little effect on milk production. This will only lead to bladder fill up less frequently. In addition, this can lead to inflammation of the kidneys.
Bandage the chest tightly. This should also not be done, since milk stagnation can lead to inflammation in the mammary glands, the formation of lactostasis (milk stagnation) and mastitis. Instead, you can wear a tight bra day and night.
Apply ice to the chest. This really helps, as it slows down the process of blood supply to the mammary gland, the supply of substances necessary for the formation of milk. However, you should be extremely careful using this method, since severe hypothermia often leads to inflammation.

Video: How not to stop lactation

Folk remedies to stop lactation

Many women prefer folk remedies stopping lactation. AT traditional medicine for this, sage and peppermint are used.

Using sage to stop lactation

This plant contains phytoestrogens, substances whose action in the body is similar to the action of estrogens (sex hormones produced by the ovaries). The functioning of the mammary glands is determined by the ratio of the sex hormones estrogen and prolactin (the hormone responsible for lactation). When using sage, there is a decrease in the level of prolactin due to estrogen, which causes a decrease in lactation. Sage is used in the form of a decoction, which is drunk several times a day.

Decoction of sage

For 2 cups of boiling water, take 1 teaspoon of dry grass. After cooling, drink the decoction for 6 times. This tool is safer than medications to stop lactation, but it has contraindications. It should not be used for allergies to the plant, as well as for diseases of the stomach, kidneys, and nervous disorders. It will take about 4 days to stop lactation with sage.

You can use sage oil (add 5 drops to a small amount of water and drink several times a day). It is useful to lubricate the mammary glands from the outside with this oil in order to relieve inflammation, prevent lactostasis and mastitis.

Using peppermint to stop lactation

This herb contains menthol, which inhibits the production of milk. On the other hand, it contains essential oils, dilating blood vessels, accelerating blood flow, which, on the contrary, can stimulate milk production. Different varieties of mint differ in menthol content. Peppermint is used to stop lactation. It is taken in small quantities. Often this plant is brewed with sage.

Peppermint infusion

Dry peppermint (2 tablespoons) is poured with warm water (2 cups). Insist 1.5 hours, filter. Drink 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day. Peppermint infusions should not be taken with cardiac arrhythmia, as well as with hypotension, since mint contains substances that greatly lower blood pressure.

The use of cabbage leaves

Cabbage leaves are used to eliminate inflammation, as well as a means of reducing milk production.

You can stop lactation both with the help of the upper, dark green, cabbage leaves, and using the inner leaves. A juicy leaf is taken, crushed with a rolling pin to squeeze out the juice. In this form, it is applied to the chest, a bra is put on top, the sheet is held on the chest until it fades completely. The amount of milk produced decreases, pain in the chest disappears.

Video: How to deal with lactostasis

Medicines to stop milk production

Medications are used only when absolutely necessary. Lactation is a process associated with hormonal balance in a woman's body. Any shift that disrupts the natural balance of hormones can lead to unpredictable consequences. First of all, the consequences of the intervention are tumor diseases of the mammary gland and a disorder in the functioning of the reproductive system.

Drink pills only after the complete cessation of breastfeeding. Medicines are used in the following cases:

emergency termination of pregnancy in the last term;
the birth of a dead child;
purulent mastitis with the possibility of transition to mastopathy;
severe illness in the mother that makes feeding impossible (AIDS, tuberculosis, cancer, heart failure);
severe pathology in the newborn.

Most drugs to stop lactation cause nausea, dizziness, headache, fainting, and increase blood pressure.

Most often, hormonal preparations based on estrogens are used, which suppress the action of prolactin, testosterone (a male sex hormone that reduces the action of female hormones), gestagens, which have the same effect as estrogens. In addition, drugs are used that act directly on the pituitary gland, where prolactin is produced. These drugs have a number of contraindications. They greatly increase blood pressure, act on the heart, stomach, liver and kidneys.

For healthy woman in the best possible way is a natural decrease and gradual cessation of milk production, which does not affect health and does not have complications.

Mother's milk is the best product that nature itself offers for feeding a child in the first months of his life. But the child grows, his needs change, and there comes a time when it is time to wean the baby from the mother's breast.

How noticeable and difficult this process will be depends on many factors: on the temperament of the child, the reasons for which it is necessary to stop breastfeeding, the degree of organization of the weaning process itself.

When to stop breastfeeding

Opinions on when it is time to stop breastfeeding are so varied that it is completely impossible to specify the exact age at which it is worth starting to wean a baby from the breast.

Some believe that the sooner this happens, the more painlessly the process of weaning will pass for the baby. Others argue that the child needs to receive healthy milk as much as possible. Still others are trying to establish a certain "border" - a year, a half, two.

In my opinion, first of all, a woman herself must decide when this moment will come. No one better than a mother feels the state of her baby and does not know about her own feelings in terms of lactation. Therefore, do not let us impose an outside opinion on ourselves.

If the mother feels that both she and the baby need to continue feeding until 2.5-3 years old or even more, and acquaintances unanimously declare that the moment has come - find comrades among them and continue to do what you feel.

Similarly, if for some reason a woman is experiencing discomfort and she has a strong desire to complete breastfeeding before the age of one, it is worth doing so. In the end, no one canceled the influence of the emotional state of the mother on the child. Yes, it is advisable to feed at least up to a year. But the World will not really collapse, and you will not turn into a bad mother just because you do not force yourself or are torn between the need to feed and go to work, experiencing constant discomfort.

So, it is advisable to feed up to a year and a half. It is desirable, but this is not a “red date” on the calendar. The only thing that can be said about this is that the child is considered to be better prepared for weaning after a year and three months. Therefore, if you are still thinking about the issue of stopping breastfeeding, and the baby has already celebrated its first birthday, it may be worth adjusting your plans a little.

Completion of breastfeeding

The duration of breastfeeding often determines how painlessly the process of completing lactation will occur for the mother and her body. This is another weighty argument in favor of more prolonged feeding of the baby, which is often not taken into account. If you have been breastfeeding your baby for more than a year - the likelihood of natural completion this process much higher.

Natural involution of the mammary gland

If a woman wishes to complete breastfeeding in the most natural way, the signs that indicate the end of her breastfeeding period should be looked out for:

the age of the child is about 1.5 years and older;
the child is clearly not full when suckling;
long breaks in feeding (12-24 hours) are easily tolerated and do not cause discomfort;
feeling of psychological and physical fatigue, devastation after feeding;
soreness of the nipples;
the color of the milk begins to change, may become more yellowish or watery;
the baby himself is less and less demanding breast.

Based on the combination of these factors, it can be understood that the process of lactation comes to a natural conclusion and it is enough to help the child a little to outgrow the habit of finding comfort in the mother's breast.

Abrupt cessation of breastfeeding

There are also situations when a woman, for whatever reason, decides to stop breastfeeding, but the body is not yet ready for the natural completion of the feeding process, and the milk continues to remain. In this case, the question arises not only of how to wean the baby from the breast, but also how to reduce discomfort for the mother and not harm her health.

To make the process of weaning in this case the most painless for a woman, you can follow the following recommendations:

wean the baby gradually, reducing the number of breastfeeds;
gradually reduce the amount of food consumed;
products that stimulate lactation should be removed from the diet: walnuts and almonds, reduce the amount of fermented milk products consumed;
try to express less;
Leave some milk in your breast when you express.

Do not forget that during this period it is especially important to wear a comfortable, not too tight bra to maintain the shape of the breast and to avoid strong compression.

You can also use folk methods.

For example, apply cabbage compresses in the presence of seals in the chest, a feeling of fullness. To do this, simply cool the cabbage leaves, remember a little and attach to your chest. Place polyethylene on top, and put on a bra.

You can brew and drink decoctions of lingonberries, bearberry, sage, mint, hops and leaves walnut. It is possible to brew these plants in the form of tea, just bay hot water and left for two hours. Other cooking methods are also acceptable. Why not just add some mint to your evening tea?

Be careful with folk recipes to reduce lactation. For example, they may include plants that can adversely affect the health of the mother and child if used improperly (belladonna, horsetail, jasmine, and others). Therefore, if you doubt the safety of a collection or prescription, consult your doctor.

Another important point - most of the means to reduce lactation have a diuretic effect. Therefore, if there are problems with the kidneys or the genitourinary system, they should be used with caution.

Taking hormonal drugs only a doctor can prescribe to reduce lactation. Whether or not to use pills is up to you. They have many side effects, but the effectiveness is also great.

To stop lactation is not worth:

pull the chest;
reduce the amount of fluid you drink;
take medications on your own.

How to make the weaning process less painful for the baby

It is important not only the decision of the mother to stop breastfeeding, but also the readiness of the child, his emotional and physical state during the period of weaning from the usual means of pleasure and comfort.

During the weaning of the baby from the breast, it is desirable:

do not introduce new complementary foods, but use the products familiar to the child;
so that this happens in a calm environment without any stress (moves, quarrels in the family, long trips);
the baby did not cut teeth;
the child was healthy (it is better to wait 2-3 weeks since the last illness);
the baby did not have allergic reactions;
the child was not vaccinated two weeks before the start of weaning (with gradual weaning - weeks) and within two weeks after its completion.

It is possible and desirable to resume breastfeeding if any of these points are violated.

How to help your baby do without a breast

This is a really important question, because the reaction of the child to the violation of the usual way of obtaining food, and the attention of the mother, can be very acute. There are several methods that may be useful in weaning a baby.

Typically, these methods are designed to weaning will happen immediately rather than gradually. In this case, you can supplement the baby with mother's milk by decanting it and offering it in a mug.

Some advise the mother to simply leave for a few days (from 2 to 7) and leave the child in the care of relatives. Then, upon her return, she will be able to more easily explain to the baby that there is no more milk.
In my opinion, this method has a very big drawback: not all mothers until this moment left the child with their relatives even for a short time. For a baby, this can be a lot of stress and a change in the whole habitual routine. If similar situations have already arisen in the life of a child, or the mother is very worried that she will not be able to cope with stress, he may well justify himself.
To resort to deception: seal the nipples with a skin-colored plaster and explain that the milk is over.
Lubricate the nipples with something. For these purposes, you can use special formulations from the pharmacy. Some advise mustard, but, in my opinion, this is just a barbaric method that can harm not only the baby, but also yourself.
There is also a minus - imagine the surprise and indignation of the baby, when the most familiar and reliable, personifying close contact with the mother, suddenly burned the mouth, but I think if you explain to the child before that that the breast is now “not tasty”, this remedy can be very effective.

If it is supposed gradual weaning of the baby, you can try to explain to him that there is less milk and soon there will be no milk at all, so you will have to eat it less often.

Gradual weaning will be easier if:

start accustoming the baby to sleep in his crib in advance, and not with his mother (if he asks for a breast, feed and put him back in bed);
do not refuse the baby if he is used to receiving breasts on demand, but explain that there is less milk and you will have to wait, and in the meantime you can drink milk from a cup or have a snack;
first nullify the morning feedings and lastly the night ones;
at night, offer the baby not immediately the breast, but simply drink tea, water, milk.

In this and previous cases, it is also worth following simple rules:

do not walk in open clothes, so as not to excite the memories of the baby;
offer various interesting activities instead of breast
allow to eat and drink as much as the child wants and at any time;
offer to drink from a cup, not a bottle, so as not to replace one habit with another;
you can offer a treat.

How the child will wean depends on his character and the needs of the mother. If the baby is weaned immediately, the baby may experience severe stress and may have to resume feeding. On the other hand, the baby will quickly forget that he previously received food from the mother's breast (complete "forgetting" will take about 3-4 weeks).

Gradual weaning will require more perseverance and patience on the part of the mother, but for most children it will be more painless.

Breastfeeding is not only the process of meeting the nutritional needs of the baby, but also the formation of a close bond between the baby and mother. A sense of security and peace of mind - that's what the child gets in addition to vitamins and nutrients. WHO recommends continuing lactation for at least 6 to 8 months, and it is better to extend it to one and a half to two years. It is important to know how to properly wean a baby from an already formed sucking habit, without bringing psychological and physical discomfort to the baby, and maintaining breast health. Many "old-fashioned" methods of bandaging the mammary glands have become obsolete and have been replaced by safer and less traumatic ones. What to do after stopping breastfeeding(s)? Move away from lactation gradually or in two or three days?

There are many ways and recommendations on how to wean a baby from the breast. Each of them has its own disadvantages and advantages. After all, women are different: “dairy”, in which you can easily get a liter of milk per day, while others “drop by drop” throughout lactation, despite all efforts. By choosing the right method, it becomes clear how to complete the GV without lactostasis and torment.

Some children, reaching a certain age, may themselves refuse, taking it only at night. This usually happens no earlier than 8-10 months, often associated with the introduction of a baby bottle with a “light” nipple, through which parents begin to give compotes and water.

But the later a woman tries to wean the baby from the breast, the easier it is, as a rule, to do it. This is explained by the extinction of the sucking reflex in the crumbs over time and the decrease in milk in the glands, since the child already eats normal food in sufficient quantities.

Classic way

Lactation increases gradually, starting with one or two drops of colostrum immediately after childbirth, you can reach a liter of milk by the year. Also, the process should be systematically completed. Finishing lactation in a similar way, the hormonal processes in the woman's body will gradually be adjusted, and psychological discomfort in the baby can be avoided.

It is desirable that the child be breastfed until five or six months old. If a woman has to wean the baby from the breast before this time, then it should be replaced with an equivalent amount of the mixture.

From four to five months, you can introduce minimal complementary foods. So the need for breast milk will gradually disappear until complete cessation in 30 to 60 days.

If the mother begins to wean the child from the breast later, closer to a year, then one feeding should be completely replaced with another fermented milk product (yogurt, milk, kefir). It is recommended to do this gradually, first giving a new product, and then the breast. As soon as one feeding is completed, it is necessary to proceed to the next. As a rule, it is most difficult to wean a child from, especially if the baby grows without a pacifier: sometimes he needs breasts just for easy sucking and calmness. Here you will have to try to replace milk with tea, compote or just water. It is better not to give kefir and milk, other products, without accustoming the crumbs to night food.

Do I need to bandage the chest

Even 20 - 25 years ago, the main way to stop lactation was tight bandaging of the mammary glands. But this method is traumatic, painful and often does not bring desired result. However, you can still hear recommendations for its use. The essence of the method lies in the mechanical squeezing of the ducts, which should disrupt / reduce the flow of milk. Bandaging regularly, you can to some extent achieve a decrease in lactation. Reasons why breast ligation is dangerous and ineffective:

Tight bandaging does not directly affect milk production, since prolactin, produced by the pituitary gland of the brain, is responsible for this.
After the ducts in the mammary glands can be compressed, pinched, which can lead to a violation of the outflow of fluid from the lobules, and.
Bandaging brings soreness and discomfort.
Subsequently, such a radical method can lead to mastopathy, the formation of cysts in the mammary glands.

Abrupt cancellation

If the baby has already grown up, you can use other methods. For example, to form an unpleasant reflex in a baby associated with breast sucking, you need to lubricate the nipple and areola with a tasteless product. Often it is hot pepper, mustard, garlic, aloe, or something similar. Once or twice I tried one year old baby will understand that it is already tasteless and will not want more.

If the child is already far over a year old, and at that age they like to bite the nipple with their teeth. At one of these moments, you can stage that mom is very hurt, and then every time, as soon as the baby pulls up to suck, explain it again.

Some folk councils, and even grandmothers, may advise the following: leave the child for a few days with a close family member. Of course, the one who takes responsibility can be guaranteed a sea of tears and a sleepless night, but not always.

After a sharp weaning, you can use another trick - daily, but not completely, a little bit, and each time reducing the volume. So you can achieve almost physiological completion of lactation.

Those women who decide on such methods need to know what lactostasis is when feeding is stopped. Because sometimes if the process ends incorrectly, it cannot be avoided.

The need for drug administration

Despite the correct tactics, some women may still experience lactostasis at the end of guards. This usually applies to those who have practiced constant pumping, or those who have always had a sufficiently large amount of milk. In such situations, an additional intake of drugs that block the production of prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production, is recommended.

Also, tablets can be taken in cases of abrupt cessation of breastfeeding. The most popular are bromocriptine, dostinex and their analogues. The first drug acts gradually, it will have to be consumed within a week or two. Dostinex, on the other hand, stops milk production within 48 hours, and also gives fewer complications - nausea, dizziness.

Herbal infusions to help mom

To reduce lactation, you can use various herbal infusions. As a rule, these are diuretic fees, the action of which is based on a decrease in the amount of fluid in the body and, accordingly, milk production. However, they must be used with caution so as not to cause dehydration. The most popular herbs are elecampane, bearberry, parsley, cranberries, etc. It is recommended to make an infusion and consume 1-1.5 liters per day for a week or two.

It can also be used for such purposes. This herb contains phytoestrogens, which to some extent are a prolactin antagonist, i.е. reduce its quantity.

You can use both packaged sage, which is in any pharmacy, and dried grass. In the latter case, it should be infused for 10-15 minutes in a glass of hot water and consumed 2-3 times a day.

Other ways to alleviate the condition

If after the cessation of lactation the chest hurts, you can use methods that reduce discomfort and discomfort. These methods are used for stagnation of milk in the lobules:

At night, a leaf of white cabbage (fresh or steamed with hot water) should be applied to places where seals are determined.
It is useful to take a hot shower, directing the flow of water evenly to the mammary glands. This will help expand the ducts and improve the outflow of milk.
Taking antispasmodics will also help relieve signs of lactostasis.

Symptoms that require you to see a doctor

Mastitis is a formidable disease that can occur at the end of lactation. Every woman with suspicious symptoms should seek medical attention. medical care without self-medication. Only in this way it will be possible to avoid irreversible consequences and carry out therapy without surgical intervention.

Mastitis does not occur suddenly. The main factor for the development of the condition is the stagnation of milk, which often happens at the end of breastfeeding, especially if this is done not gradually, but abruptly. Stagnation occurs initially in the lobules located further from the nipple, i.e. where hindmilk is produced. Against this background, an infection begins to join: it can enter as a retrograde way through a damaged nipple (usually after biting the baby's teeth) or come from the bloodstream from anywhere, more often from the tonsils with chronic tonsillitis or even from the teeth if there is caries.

From the moment of lactostasis to the development of a breast abscess, it can take a couple of hours or several days - everything is individual. Such methods of stopping breastfeeding, such as bandaging the mammary glands or lubricating the nipple with all sorts of “bad tastes”, often lead to similar conditions, if you do not express milk regularly, gradually reducing its amount. times from the base of the mammary gland to the nipple, as if directing the milk. Only after all this should you try to express milk, at least a little. You can ask someone to do it. As soon as it becomes a little easier, you can stop, and continue if symptoms appear. Gradually, milk production should decrease. If its amount is still excessive, you can take a pill to reduce the formation of prolactin.

When should you be concerned?

If the mammary gland hurts, compacted areas are locally determined.
The skin to the touch in the place of milk stagnation is hot, hyperemic (has a red or purple color).
Body temperature (in this case, it should be measured in the elbow bend, and not in the armpit) is above 37 - 37.5 degrees.
Discharge from the nipples is purulent.
Any touch sharply to the breast is sharply painful, it is no longer possible to express milk on your own, and the baby refuses to eat.
The appearance of a sharp and throbbing pain in the mammary gland.
Enlarged axillary lymph nodes.
If lactostasis does not go away within a day.

Breastfeeding is a natural and important process for both mother and baby. The safest and most psychologically comfortable way to wean is to gradually reduce the number of feedings. Folk ways can only help the main one, but do not stop lactation on their own. Use medications can only be prescribed by a doctor.

How and when to stop breastfeeding, each woman, together with her baby, decides in her own way. But regardless of the period of cessation of lactation, you need to understand what will happen in your body and how it will react to it. Here's what you'll face if you decide to wean your baby.

1. Bad mood

In the first few weeks after not breastfeeding, a woman may feel sad, depressed, and more sensitive than usual. This is due to hormonal changes: the level of the two main hormones of lactation - prolactin and oxytocin (we know it as the "hormone of love") - during this period is significantly reduced, which causes a stressful state.

To reduce the likelihood of unpleasant mood swings, not a sharp, but a gradual decrease in the number of attachments can help. It is good if by the time you decide to end lactation, the child will have only one breastfeeding per day, for example, at night.

2. Milk leakage

Milk will not go away in a few hours, even if you reduce the number of feedings gradually, without abrupt weaning. The production of milk in the body of a nursing mother depends on the “demand” for it from the side of the child: the more often and more the child eats, the more intensely the breast fills up.

Leakage of milk after breastfeeding is completed can be both within a few days and many months. The second scenario most often concerns women who breastfed for more than six months.

3. Milk stasis

If feeding was interrupted abruptly (for example, due to a woman’s illness), then it is likely that the body will produce milk in the usual volume for some time. This means that there is a risk of blockage of the milk ducts, milk stagnation (lactostasis) and even mastitis.

The trick is to effectively express with your hands in case of stagnation, but only to a state of relief. By emptying the breast completely, you give the body a signal that milk is still needed - in place of the pumped a new one will come portion of food for the baby. Therefore, it is important to learn how to only slightly pump the breast, informing your hormonal system that milk is no longer required in the same amount. If stagnation does not bother you, you do not need to try to express, the milk will go away by itself.

4. Return of menstruation

The restoration of the menstrual cycle for all women is individual: for some, menstruation begins a couple of months after childbirth (even despite exclusive breastfeeding), and for some, amenorrhea lasts exactly as long as the lactation process takes place. If the latter is your case, expect the return of menstruation as soon as possible after the completion of feeding.